


you can tell by the way

by unrequitedexistence



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-07-22 19:12:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7450801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unrequitedexistence/pseuds/unrequitedexistence
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"you can tell by the way<br/>she walks that she's my girl<br/>you can tell by the way<br/>she talks, she rules the world </p>
<p>you can see in her eyes<br/>that no one is her chain<br/>she's my girl<br/>my supergirl." </p>
<p>Nothing is what it seems. <i>Or is it</i>?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. prologue

One could say that Cat Grant was striding, even if presently wearing a patterned pencil skirt that kept a _tight_ rein on the broadness of her pace. Some thought such apparel to be uncomfortable, a source of unwelcome constraint. For Cat, it helped her remain _grounded_. She carried herself with confidence, exuding power as she conquered the distance that stood between her and whatever her purpose, one step at a time.

Cat’s predatory walk seemed to have palpably charged the atmosphere of the vogueish establishment that reeked of old money and overrated egos. Foreign interests inevitably started to gravitate towards the woman and the destination of her stride.

_Kara Danvers_.

Cat came to an elegant halt in front of the young woman. Their eyes met and Kara quivered, _almost_ imperceptibly. Cat’s attention was _electrifying_ and being the sole recipient of it was absolutely… _exhilarating_.

Cat’s face was unreadable as she reached out, one of her hands finding the soft skin of Kara’s cheek. She delicately traced the line of Kara’s jaw with her fingertips, letting her thumb caress the other woman’s lower lip at the sight of fluttering eyelashes.

Cat leaned closer, their faces drawing near and their breaths mingling. She lingered there for a moment, only eliminating the distance entirely once Kara’s hand timidly touched her hip.

Their kiss was _languid_. Eternity confined to an instant that would unavoidably come to an end. No matter the length of the journey to the fateful _when_ , it would undoubtedly arrive too soon, _feel_ too rushed, even if flavored of _forever_.


	2. she's my girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Switching roles and exchanging confessions.

“I am sorry I am late, _honey_.” Cat commenced, her tone dripping delight, _unabashedly_ , creating an aura of intimacy that at once labeled the curious eyes meticulously studying them as _voyeurs_. “Have you been waiting long?”

Kara’s mouth had instinctively followed Cat’s lead, as if under a magnetic charm, even as the other woman returned the distance she had entirely obliterated not but a moment before. She licked her lips, _shamelessly_ , as she leaned back against the bar, her blue eyes, now a shade darker, reluctantly opening and daring reality to outshine itself.

“Not at all.” Kara offered in response, her voice raw from having engraved wordless confessions onto a fervently open receptacle. She squeezed Cat’s hip in gratitude as the other woman’s thumb busied itself with the task of clearing the traces of abandoned lipstick that had proudly persisted, as if ruins of a greatness to be eternally reminisced.

A ludicrous attempt at an emphatic clear of a throat echoed raucously between the two of them. Kara seemed genuinely staggered by the sound, having for a moment forgotten their precise whereabouts, but Cat remained perfectly unfazed.

_And another appalling effort_.

“Is there something I can help you with?” Cat’s gaze lingered on Kara, witnessing first hand as the young woman’s content smile morphed into surprise and then apprehension.

“We were having a conversation.”

If Cat’s tolerance to ineptitude had already been running low before she had entered the establishment, the siren for dangerously low levels was now positively blasting. The man’s matter-of-fact tone had her turning and raising an eyebrow in a ‘ _do you really want to do this_ ’ way.

He could have been sensible and chosen to walk away, but instead he had tried to make himself look bigger, _greater_ , by sitting straighter on his stall.

“I believe you are using the term _conversation_ rather loosely, almost as loosely as you were using your hands when I first arrived.” Cat extended the card she had fished out of her purse to the bartender as to pay for Kara’s unfinished drink.

“What did you say?”

The fact that he sounded outraged was, by itself, outrageous, _despicable_ even.

Cat wasn’t an enthusiast when it came to showcasing her most contained emotions in public spaces, let alone her _rage_ , but the exception to the rule was by now eagerly tickling her throat.

_Deep breath_.

“Did I stutter? If so, _please_ _do forgive me_. It must be the obtuseness in the air. It was certainly not intended to come across as an invitation for discussion.”

Cat could feel the man carving a target sign on her back with his gaze as she focused on accepting her card back and thanking the bartender. Once dealt with, her eyes found Kara’s… staring at him, her hands tightly closed fists by her sides.

It astonished Cat how the young woman seemed beyond prepared to protect her, but not herself. She was well aware that her former assistant was bulletproof, but only _physically_. Ammunition came in many different shapes and sizes, sometimes even disguised as words. How did she keep those from harming her?

Cat ran a soothing hand down Kara’s arm, tugging lightly on her hand once she reached it. She felt the ripples of the shiver that went down the other woman’s spine and then the tension dissolving as fingers intertwined.

“You have no right.”

The words were far from coercive, but the invasive hold had the skin of Cat’s arm burning under his fingertips. Instead of flinching she merely looked him in the eye.

“I will have _every_ right to sue your trivial existence into oblivion if you don’t let go of my arm this instant.” Cat’s voice remained calm, her posture poised, even if by now the pain in her limb was being matched by the strength of Kara’s grip.

“ _Thank you_. Now if you will excuse us, we have other matters to attend to.”

They walked out of the establishment, which immediately ceased to exist as far as Cat was concerned, hand in hand. Instead of stopping as soon as they reached the outside, they carried on moving until they found themselves at a park by now deserted due to the late hour.

“That man was openly harassing you.”

“Miss Grant…” Kara started, taking a deep breath as Cat let go of her hand and sat down on the nearest bench. “ _Cat_ …”

“I am well aware that you could have broken his prying fingers, one by one, without much effort.” Cat leaned back and sighed, the breeze of the autumn evening delicately caressing her bare skin, soothing her. “But I am also well aware that you would never do that, not to defend yourself from a human being.”

“It was insignificant, I was ignoring him.” Kara was standing right in front of Cat, her arms folded together across her chest for the lack of a better option and not as a quiet statement – they were still trembling from the cocktail of emotions she had been served.

“You are mistaken, Kara.” Cat threw her head back, exposing her neck as she looked up at the rarely visible stars. “Ignoring doesn’t solve the problem. He’s a judge, that misogynist pig is a beloved judge that doesn’t seem to know how to take no for an answer. He won’t learn until he has to deal with the consequences of his actions, of his words.”

“Do you want me to go back and reduce his hand to dust?” It was an awful attempt at making a joke, at lightening the mood.

Truth was, Kara didn’t feel comfortable talking about the emotions she found herself lacking the words to understand, let alone explain. Becoming _Supergirl_ had given her the perfect excuse to ignore them, to focus on everyone else for an undisputable reason. Becoming _Supergirl_ had given her a _purpose_ , a purpose that took over the doubts created by her undeniable humanity, and to which she held onto as if it were her ground.

Cat could see behind her mask, though. Not only the one she wore as _Supergirl_ , but also the one she wore as Kara. She could see it all, _her_ all, and she _cared_.

“I am serious, Kara.” Cat used her foot to reclaim Kara’s attention by gently nudging her own. “You have a voice, you have the right to be heard and respected.”

“What would you have me do?” Kara asked, her shoulders dropping, her superhero stance melting at Cat’s plea.

“You need to quit taking bullets as if stopping them is the only reason you live. You need to look after yourself, pay attention to your mental health…” Cat smiled sadly as the young woman sighed, sitting down in resignation. “Also, it wouldn’t hurt to start putting yourself first every now and then, reaching out and asking for help when it becomes too much.”

“You are right.” Kara mirrored Cat by leaning back, their shoulders touching as she did so. “Thank you, Cat.”

“For being right?”

Kara dropped her head back, looking up at the sky as to hide the ridiculous smile that had taken over her face. Cat had made her face the music, yes, but had then offered her a fast train ticket back into her comfort zone.

“For _caring_.” Kara replied after playfully elbowing the other woman. “And for saving me tonight.” She added, returning her attention to Cat.

“At your service, _Supergirl_.”

They stared at each other for a moment that soon began escalating, and rather quickly, as memories from an earlier kiss took over Kara’s mind. She dropped her gaze, faking a cough that she almost choked on as her eyes noticed the growing stain on Cat’s arm.

“It’s bruising.” Kara reached out without giving it a second thought, running her fingertips lightly over the angry patch of skin.

“You should have seen the other guy’s ego. I left it bleeding on the floor.”

Kara laughed then, freely and loudly, her fingertips tracing soothing lines around Cat’s bruise.

“Even though it is certain to make you look like a badass, particularly if you tell Carter the whole story, we should definitely ice it.” Kara suggested before standing up and offering Cat a hand.

Cat instantly smiled at the mention of her son’s name, knowing that Kara was absolutely right about his reaction. She could already see his glistening eyes. “Do lead the way.” She finally said, taking the extended hand in hers.

“You have known all along, haven’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for taking so long. I had to leave the country for a couple of days due to theatrical reasons. Also, this story seems to enjoy pushing my buttons a little too much. We fought. Quite a lot, actually. It also won, by the way, requesting another chapter by postponing the sharing of what exactly brought this on.
> 
> I want to thank you wonderful people for the almost blind support. Hopefully this chapter will be a little more enlightening ;)

**Author's Note:**

> This is indeed a prologue to an one-shot. I was going to write it as one _whole_ thing, but it somehow didn't _feel_ right. So here it is. Hope you enjoyed this little piece of the puzzle.


End file.
